


The Gradual Decline

by softashton



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Depression, Eating Disorder, Happy Ending, I'm so sorry if this sucks I literally wrote the whole thing during my lunch break last week, M/M, Self-Harm, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 23:38:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2407085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softashton/pseuds/softashton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The decline of Luke's mental health and the impact it has on Ashton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gradual Decline

There was once a boy. He had neat blond hair, wide blue eyes, and was excited about life. He enjoyed every day without a care in the world. He was worry-free. He was happy.

 

There was once a boy, a bit older now. He had neat blond hair, inquisitive blue eyes, and was still excited about life. He enjoyed himself most of the time, his greatest concerns being “what’s for dinner?” and getting his homework done on time. He was almost worry-free. He was happy.

 

There was once a boy, in secondary school now. He had styled blond hair, tired blue eyes, and the excitement in his life was basically restricted to weekends and holidays. He still enjoyed things, but everything had seemed more fun when he was younger. He wondered what people got out of intentionally trying to upset others. He wondered if he had done something wrong, to make them act this way. He was troubled. He was sure he could be happier.

 

There was once a boy, approaching his first exam season. He had quiffed blond hair, dull blue eyes, and everything had lost its sparkle now. He wondered when homework and studying had taken priority over eating and sleeping. He wondered when he started using other people’s hurtful comments to define himself. He wondered when he would next add to the red lines littering his thighs and wrists. He wondered what people would think if they saw them. He was tired. He felt happiness was out of his reach.

 

There was once a boy, now in his final year of high school. He had messy blond hair, empty blue eyes, and he didn’t feel much of anything anymore. He had grown taller than the people who called him names, so now they were nice to him instead. Their previous taunts had stopped affecting him long ago, his own mind calling him far worse. There were always bags under his eyes, and he longer ate with his family. He no longer ate much at all, for that matter. His body was a tapestry of cuts and scars, always hidden under jeans and large sweaters. His boyfriend said he loved him anyway, but he wasn’t sure he was capable of feeling the same. He had discovered the wonders known as partying and drinking. He enjoyed it, the blissful feeling of not having a care in the world, even if only for a short while. He told himself it was worth the comedown. He was numb. He couldn’t remember what happiness felt like.

 

There was once a young man, he was in college now. He had messy blond hair and dead blue eyes. He felt nothing. He had broken up with his boyfriend, who had cried. Cutting no longer helped, but he did it anyway. Drinking’s charm had worn off, but he did it anyway. He didn’t care about the comedown. He took up smoking to see if that would help. It didn’t, but he kept doing it anyway. He took pills and powders to see if they would help. They didn’t, but he kept doing them anyway. He took up having casual sex with people to see if that helped. It didn’t, but he kept doing it anyway. Nothing helped him. He couldn’t feel a damn thing.

 

There was once a man, who had dropped out of college. He had unkempt hair and eyes which didn’t really see. He had had enough. His ravaged body and shattered mind had finally gotten the better of him. He took multiple pills and tablets, all different sizes and colours. He cut deeper and deeper, waiting to see how far he had to go before something would happen. He felt relief. He felt free.

 

There was once a man, who had bled himself dry. All he left behind was a stain on the floor and a grieving family who wanted to know what they had done wrong.

 

There was once a man. Society destroyed him. He destroyed himself.

 

********

 

There was once a man. He had curly brown hair and empty hazel eyes. He had loved the boy with the quiffed blond hair and dull blue eyes, with red lines littering his thighs and wrists. He had also loved the boy with messy blond hair and empty blue eyes, body a tapestry of cuts and scars. He had continued to love the young man, even after the young man shut him out of his life. He had continued to love the young man with unkempt blond hair and dead blue eyes, who would try anything just so he could feel something. He had continued to love the man who had bled himself dry, his heart shattering all over again when he heard the news. He had continued to love the boy for many years afterwards, despite having married and started a family of his own. 

 

There was once a man. He had messy brown hair and dead hazel eyes. His marriage had fallen apart and he was struggling at work. He found his thoughts constantly being brought back to the boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He always regretted not having done more to help. He had watched from up close as his boyfriend destroyed himself, and then from afar after his boyfriend had shut him out.

 

There was once a man. He had unkempt brown hair and eyes which didn’t really see. He had lost his job and could no longer cover his rent. He took out a loan he wouldn’t be able to repay, just to keep a roof over his head. He could finally appreciate what the love of his life had gone through, now having reached that point himself. He too, had had enough. He hoped he would be able to see his boyfriend again. He hoped his boyfriend would love him again. He raised the gun to his head, smiled for the first time in years, and pulled the trigger.

 

There was once a man. His brains were splattered on the walls. All he left behind was debt, and a family who wished they had acted on the warning signs.

 

There was once a man. Heartbreak destroyed him. He destroyed himself.

 

********

 

There were two men, who had a lot of catching up to do. Reunited in the afterlife, they never left each other’s sides. They had finally found happiness again.

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is the first thing I've posted, some feedback would really be appreciated! I'm so sorry if I upset anyone who reads this (I know I upset myself when I was writing it).
> 
> I've also got something slightly longer in the works (also Lashton), which should hopefully be around 10k words, if not slightly longer.


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